Taxi and rail strikes hit European cities

During a 24-hour protest in Madrid, cab drivers surrounded a car suspected of being a private taxi

Transport in major European cities has been disrupted by twin strikes, affecting taxis and rail services.

Two-thirds of trains did not run in some areas of France in a strike against reforms and taxis blocked roads, including around major airports.

There were demonstrations by taxi drivers in Madrid, London, Milan, Berlin and several other cities.

They are protesting at what they regard as a lack of regulation of rival mobile service Uber.

The BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones reports on how the app works

The biggest taxi associations in the Spanish capital asked their drivers to observe a 24-hour stoppage until 06:00 on Thursday morning. More than 15,000 licensed vehicles operate in Madrid, Spanish media say.

No taxis were visible at Barajas airport or Atocha station, reports said, despite Uber not yet being available in the capital. At one point, a car suspected of being a private taxi came under attack from demonstrators.

The strike was also being observed in Barcelona, where the mobile app is in operation.

Trafalgar Square

Cabbies in London demonstrated in Trafalgar Square, arguing that the Uber mobile app, which originated in the US, was tantamount to a taxi meter, which only black cabs are legally entitled to use in London.

Uber argues it is complying with local regulations.

Up to 12,000 drivers are expected to take part in the protest.

The Metropolitan Police said conditions had been imposed on protesters after they failed to meet with officers to discuss their plans.

Cab drivers blocked access to Roissy airport near Paris

In Rome, taxi drivers handed out leaflets urging tourists to take official cabs

Passengers heading to Marseille Provence airport were urged to arrive 90 minutes earlier than normal

In Milan, in northern Italy, a protest was taking place throughout Wednesday, although disruption was not expected to be on a similar scale as elsewhere, with boycotts expected of key sites such as railway stations and squares. Cab drivers also staged demonstrations in Rome and Naples.

Protests were taking place in several German cities, including Berlin and Hamburg.

But the worst of the disruption was in Paris, where train services were also badly affected by strike action.

Only one in three trains was running in the Paris region, although Eurostar services were unaffected.

Unions are objecting to plans to merge the rail network operator with the train company SNCF. The company said some 28% of railway staff had walked out.

Workers were also considering whether to extend the strike into Thursday. Several regions had voted to continue the stoppage, French media reported.

In some areas of France, barely a third of trains were running